"Stand Your Ground" Goes on Trial
A combination of "stand your ground" legislation and lax gun laws has led to startling increases in violence and homicides for the states that enact them. As George Zimmerman's trial date grows nearer, a reevaluation of these types of laws is severely needed.
The Torah In Haiku: Balak
Daughters of Moab
Led the people to worship
The Moabite gods
G-d became angry
Until Pinchas took action
More on that next week
Rabbis Organizing Rabbis Act for Immigration Reform in Ohio
Rabbis Organizing Rabbis, a group of activist clergy who mobilize those in their congregations and communities to action, has been fiercely advocating for federal comprehensive immigration reform over the past several months. Read Rabbi Rob Nosanchuk's remarks from a meeting with Senator Rob Portman (OH).
The Fourth of July: Not Just a Day Off
For many in the United States, the Fourth of July holiday brings to mind joyous times of gathering with friends and family, enjoying barbeques, fireworks, freedom (from work), and of course, sales.
Celebrating Our Journeys: My Spiritual Path to Reform Jewish Leadership
Gilda Radner once said, “I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Judaism, Homosexuality, and the Supreme Court
Any moment now, the United States Supreme Court is going to decide on two cases that involve same-sex marriage. Advocates on both sides of this issue are anxiously awaiting either a moment of celebration or of despair. Of course, it is possible that they will get neither.
It's Elul: 6 Ways to Get Ready for the High Holidays
10 Ways to Welcome Teens at the High Holidays
Looking for innovative opportunities to engage your teens around the High Holidays? These 10 ideas come directly from the source – youth professionals across North America.
Remembering Emma Lazarus, A Legacy in Reform Liturgy
Most people, if they’ve heard of her at all, connect Emma Lazarus to the most famous phrases of her sonnet, “The New Colossus,” written to help raise money for the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal fund in 1883. But poems she translated and composed before that generated another kind of legacy.
My Alphabet of Failings: A New Ashamnu
Each year on Yom Kippur, I join my congregation is reciting the Ashamnu, an alphabetic acrostic of sins for which we repent. And each year, it occurs to me that most of the sins named in the Ashamnu don’t hit me in the heart I’m beating – and so, I wrote my own version of the prayer.